


Sneezes and Sniffles for the Snack Pack

by katzoo12



Category: Trolls (2016)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fever, Influenza, Pneumonia, Romance, Sickfic, caretaker
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-26
Updated: 2017-11-27
Packaged: 2019-02-07 04:32:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12833358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katzoo12/pseuds/katzoo12
Summary: Poppy and the Snack Pack end up getting sick after getting caught in a torrential downpour, and Branch plays caretaker to them. Enjoy!





	1. Rainy Day and Downpour

**Author's Note:**

> This is one of my most popular stories on FanFiction. YES, there is a plothole, and it may be a while between chapters, but it's the best I can do. And I actually originally intended this to be a REALLY long oneshot, but realized it would be easier if I did a multichapter fic.

It was raining.

Of course, it was a light rain, easy to dry off from if one was to get caught in it.

And that is why the trolls and bergens of Bergentown were out playing in it and stomping in puddles.

Soon after they became happy, the bergens, who used to always think of rain as gloomy, quickly found out how FUN it was, courtesy of the trolls, of course!

Well, this rainy afternoon was about to go bad...for Poppy and the Snack-Pack that is.

"Come ON, Branch! Pleeeeaaasse?" begged Poppy.

Her boyfriend Branch was standing under a mushroom and shook his head adamantly.

"You're going to get sick, playing in the rain like that!"

"We played in the rain ALL THE TIME back in the old village," the queen pointed out.

"Not when it was torrential."

Poppy gave an exasperated look and gestured to the storm outside the protection of the mushroom.

"Does this look like a bad storm to you?"

Branch shook his head again, and quickly pointed out that it was ABOUT to turn into torrential rain, and he was going to be nice and warm inside when it did.

Poppy's look softened.

"Are you sure this isn't one of your false alarms? And besides, aren't you happy now?"

The teal troll sighed, and said, "Yes, I am happy, but it doesn't mean I don't still have my common sense. And it IS about to start raining hard. I know because one of the first things I learned about survival was how to predict the weather."

"Well, predictions aren't always right. I'm gonna ask you one more time: you sure you don't want to stomp in puddles?"

"...Yes."

The pink troll shrugged, said "Suit yourself," and skipped back out into the drizzle.

Branch shook his head in exasperation, and walked back to his bunker-like house by the roots of the Troll Tree.

Meanwhile, Poppy quickly located the Pack and went over to them.

"Hey guys!"

"Poppy! We were wondering where you went," remarked Biggie.

"Isn't it obvious?" said Satin and Chenille in unison.

They and DJ Suki shared a knowing look.

"You were trying to get Branch to join in, weren't you, girl?" said the hot pink troll.

Poppy nodded and explained that Branch thought the rain was going to turn from a drizzly rain to pelting rain, which earned a laugh from the Snack Pack.

Suddenly, Guy Diamond spoke up in his auto-tune voice.

"Hey, how about we have a contest? Whoever makes the biggest splash in a puddle wins!"

"YEAH!"

The group soon started, with Poppy, being the queen, going first.

The one thing they didn't notice, but the other trolls and bergens did, was the darker clouds rolling in...

Trolls started going back to their pods, while their bergen friends went back inside their houses.

Back with Poppy and the Snack Pack, Biggie had just won, due to his size of course!

"Well, there really wasn't any doubt anyway, was there?" pointed out Cooper, causing the rest to agree.

Smidge, who had been silent this whole time, finally thought of something to say.

"Hey, remember that time when Cooper got his legs tangled up when he was first learning how to dance?"

Everyone laughed, even Cooper, who remembered that all too well.

Pretty soon, they were ALL sharing embarrassing stories about themselves!

No one noticed the darker clouds getting nearer and nearer.

Soon, they were right over the unsuspecting friends' heads.

"Ooh, ooh, ooh! I got a good one! One time-"

"Sorry to interrupt Suki, but has anyone else noticed we're the only ones out here?" spoke up Poppy.

The resident DJ stopped talking, and looked around, the rest of the Pack doing the same.

"Yo, she's right. What gives?"

No one had an answer...until it began pouring!

Everyone yelped, and started running around, looking for the nearest pod to take shelter.

Unfortunately, they found none, and to make matters worse, Poppy had forgotten where the mushroom Branch had stayed dry under was!

She couldn't look for it either, since the pelting rain made everything beyond ten feet away indistinguishable.

Soon, everyone was soaked to the bone and shivering with cold.

The good thing was, Poppy could still see the Troll Tree, since it was so big, and instantly thought of a plan.

"Wait! Everyone! Branch lives by the roots of the Tree! If we can find his place, we can wait out the storm there!"

"Good idea!" said Satin.

"But let's hurry! We (and our outfits) don't want to be out here ANY longer than necessary!" added Chenille.

The other separated Pack members, though they couldn't see each other, DEFINITELY heard the plan, and managed to regroup under the Tree.

Instantly taking charge, the queen sent Biggie, Cooper, and Guy one way, and the Twins, Suki, and Smidge the other way, while she looked around the spot they were in right now.

The two groups started looking, hoping to find Branch's house so they could get warm.


	2. Branch's Bunker and Illness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Pack DOES find the bunker, but at a consequence...

With Suki, she was climbing over a particularly difficult root and managed to peek her head over the top.

"Wait...is that...a light?!" she exclaimed, and managed to study it for a few more seconds before she slipped and landed in a muddy puddle.

"Ugh..."

Suki shook her head to focus.

"That's GOTTA be his place! I need to alert the others..."

And with that, she sent up her hair with the brightest colors possible.

Pretty soon, everyone was there, and helping each other climb over the root.

"Is everyone accounted for?" asked Poppy when everyone was safely on the other side.

The Snack Pack nodded.

Satisfied, she went to knock at the door.

Meanwhile, inside, Branch was sitting by his warm fire when he heard "Branch! Branch! Branch! BRANCH ARE YOU IN THERE?!"

The teal troll sighed.

"Who could that be? As if I didn't already know..."

He got up and went to answer the yells.

"D-do you t-t-think he's ever g-gonna answer?" shivered Biggie.

His question was answered when the teal troll came into view, and though he was expecting them, looked shocked at their condition.

He was DEFINITELY not thinking they would look THIS bad!

Heck, Guy Diamond was shivering so hard glitter was flying off him every which way!

Branch slapped himself to break himself out of his expression.

"What are you doing out here?! Look at you! You're drenched! Come inside," he beckoned.

The Pack didn't need to be told twice, and rushed into the warm mini-bunker.

Branch shut the door and started pacing.

"Honestly, what is WRONG with you guys? I TOLD Poppy it was going to start pouring, but did she listen? NO!"

"BRANCH!"

He stopped.

"I'm sorry. You DID warn me, I didn't listen, and now we're all cold and wet. But shouldn't we put on dry clothes?"

The teal troll face-palmed.

"How could I forget? You're lucky you haven't started sneezing yet! Wait here."

He moved to walk off, but then it happened.

The other members of the Snack Pack, including Poppy, succumbed to a wild fit of coughs and sneezes.

Suki gave a sudden shiver, most likely from the puddle she fell in earlier.

Branch sighed, again.

"I guess I spoke too soon...okay then," he clapped his hands, "I want Biggie and Guy Diamond on the couch, Smidge, Suki, and the Twins in the armchairs, Poppy on an air mattress, and Cooper can sit in front of the fire."

They all went to their designated spots, sniffling all the way.

When they were all settled, Branch left to get some blankets and spare pajamas from the upstairs linen closet.

"Aw, man..." groaned Cooper, scooting closer to the comforting heat, "I haven't felt THIS bad in years..."

The others coughed or nodded in agreement.

It was true.

The only time they remember feeling as bad as they did now was when they were all around six and had all gotten Troll Pox...AT THE SAME TIME.

The other trolls at the time had said it wasn't a big surprise, since the friends were together until the sun went down.

Troll Pox was a classic childhood illness, and was very similar to our own chicken pox.

The only thing that made them distinguishable was that each troll had different colored spots that had to do with their skin color in some way.

For instance, Smidge had orange spots, Satin and Chenille had blue and pink respectively, Biggie (who was still quite big at six) had light blue spots, Suki had cotton candy colored that looked like Poppy's skin tone...see what I mean?

The one who had gotten it the worst was Cooper, since he quite simply could not stop trying to get out of bed.

To say the Pack was worried about him was an understatement.

Of course, all they really COULD remember from their bout was being in quarantine together, sleeping a lot and the ITCHINESS, so they just went on what others told them.

Soon enough, Branch's voice jolted them from their reverie.


	3. Blankets, Thermometers, and Diagnosis

"I'm back!"

Indeed he was back, though it was hard to see his face due to the sheer number of blankets and PJ's he was carrying.

"Do you need help?" asked Smidge, her deep voice sounding more gravelly than usual due to her sore throat.

She made a move to get up and help him.

"Whoa, whoa, WHOA!" Branch immediately dropped the stuff and went over to Smidge.

"You shouldn't even be TRYING to get up, not in your condition!"

The small but powerful troll reluctantly sat back down.

"Branch, we're f...fi...achoo!" sneezed Satin and Chenille in unison.

"Right, and I'm going to Mars next week," quipped the teal troll.

"The point being, you're not fine. Just look at Poppy!"

He gestured over to the queen, who at the moment was wiping her runny nose on her hand and shivering so hard her teeth chattered.

The Fashion Twins looked down in shame.

"Um...B-b-branch?" asked Poppy.

"Blankets, p-please..."

Branch face-palmed again, and rushed over to the pile he dropped.

Soon, everyone's shivers had lessened a bit due to the warm pajamas and blankets.

"Thanks Branch," said the Snack Pack in broken unison.

"No problem. Now, to accurately give a diagnosis, I'm going to have to take your temperature," explained the survivalist.

The friends groaned, since they, being trolls, found it ESPECIALLY hard to keep from talking when the cold glassy items were in their mouths.

"I'll have none of that," scolded Branch.

"I need to know how high your fevers are. Wait here, and NO GETTING UP." The teal troll left, and was back quicker than Aspen could skitterboard across a branch with a box full of spare thermometers.

"Why do you have all these?" asked Biggie.

Branch smirked.

"As the village survivalist, I had to be prepared for EVERY worst case scenario. One of which being a fatal illness," he explained.

The Pack nodded.

THAT made sense.

Branch bent down, picked out eight thermometers, and was soon popping them in each ill troll's mouth.

Two agonizing minutes went by, with the teal troll having to remind everyone to refrain from talking NUMEROUS times.

At last, the devices beeped, with Branch taking each one out and reading the temperatures displayed.

He sighed for what may have been the hundredth time this afternoon.

All the readings were between 102.5-103.2, which meant-

"Well, you all have moderate fevers, that much is clear. Now to assess your symptoms. I'll start with you, Poppy. What are you feeling? Sore throat? Headache?" Branch prodded.

The queen affirmed, and explained that she also felt a bit weak, cold, sweaty, and a minor stomachache, not to mention a runny nose, coughing, and sneezing.

Branch took note, and aimed the question, "Same for each of you?" at the rest of the Snack Pack, who all nodded.

The survivalist paced with a thoughtful look on his face.

At last, he stopped.

"Judging by your fevers, and the symptoms...I'd say you all have the flu, which means no parties for at least three to five days."

The Pack groaned.

"Aw, come on!" exclaimed Guy Diamond.

Branch raised a hand asking for silence, which quieted the trolls immediately.

"Hey, do you want to get all the others sick?"

The Snack Pack looked down, having never thought of that.

Poppy soon had a thought.

"Wait, what about my dad? He's probably worried sick by now," she fretted.

"Don't worry, I'll tell Peppy you're ill," Branch assured.

"However, since this downpour is likely to last at least twelve more hours, you all are going to have to stay here to keep from getting worse. And, since I'm not sick and actually have an umbrella," he looked a bit smug at the queen at this part, "I can leave in a few minutes. Anyone need anything before I do?" the survivalist asked.

Turns out they needed some tissues.

After all, they couldn't wipe their noses on their arms forever!

Branch got eight boxes of tissues, and passed them out.

Soon after, he got his umbrella, put his rain-boots on, and went out into the pelting rain.

As soon as the door closed, "How could I have been so reckless...?" thought Poppy out loud.

Suki, who was the closest person in an armchair put a hand on her shoulder.

"Uh, I think you're forgetting something. It wasn't JUST you, it was all of...all of...achoo!" The DJ quickly grabbed a tissue to cover her face and sneezed.

"What Suki's trying to say, sugar," continued Satin, "is that we were ALL reckless."

"Don't beat yourself up over it," added Chenille.

Poppy nodded, feeling slightly better.

"I'll try not to, guys. Thank you."

"No problem," the Pack all said in unison...right before they all had a coughing fit and groaned.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...I'm bored," said Cooper.


	4. Visiting Peppy and Coming Back

Meanwhile, with Branch, he had just reached the former king's place where he lived with his daughter.

He knocked, and the door was thrown open with "POPPY?" shouted to his face by Peppy.

Yep, this was the place all right...

The elder troll looked a bit embarrassed and disappointed when he saw it was Branch.

"Sorry...I...thought you were someone else..." said Peppy.

"No, it's okay, I get it," assured Branch.

Peppy had a dubious look on his face, before he seemed to remember something.

"Oh, where are my manners? Please, come inside," beckoned the former king.

Branch obliged and was soon sitting at the table with Peppy making both of them tea.

"Again, sorry for the outburst earlier. I've been pacing for at least forty-five minutes worrying about where Poppy was," explained the elder troll.

"It's fine. Thank you," the teal troll added when Peppy handed him the tea, and continued.

"As I was saying, it's fine, but I'm afraid this isn't a social visit."

Peppy's bushy eyebrows raised.

"Oh? Well, do tell. What brings you here?"

"I know where Poppy is."

The former king leaped up and hugged Branch, thanked him profusely, and demanded he bring her to him.

"I'm afraid that's nearly impossible at the moment," sighed the survivalist.

Peppy paused in his happy dance to look at the teal troll confusedly.

"What? Why?"

"The thing is...she and the Snack Pack all have a bad case of the flu from getting caught in the downpour. At the moment, since the rain isn't due to stop for at least twelve more hours, I'm taking care of them in my mini-bunker. The reason they can't come is partly because I don't want them to get worse, and partly because I don't want to get you sick," elaborated Branch.

Peppy nodded, and said, "That makes sense. After all, elderly trolls like myself ARE more likely to develop complications. I trust you'll take care of my daughter and return her to me when she's fit enough?"

"I promise on my honor as a troll."

The former king waved his hands in a dismissive manner.

"Please, none of those formalities. I know how Poppy looks at you, and when I do the same thing, I see someone who will never betray her like that traitor Creek," he spat the name out.

Branch's look softened.

"She means more to me than anything...ahem. Anyway, I should probably start heading back lest they try getting up," he said half-jokingly.

Peppy nodded, went to the door to open it...but paused when his hand was on the handle.

He turned to Branch.

"...You'll tell her that I hope she gets better soon, right?" he asked.

The teal troll nodded, and soon after that, he went back out into the bad weather.

When Branch opened the door to his bunker-like house again, this is the sight that greeted him.

Biggie and Guy Diamond were doing a halfhearted game of Rock Paper Scissors, the twins were discussing new clothing designs for when they were well, and the rest were just having a casual conversation, while having to stop every so often to cough or sneeze.

"Well, I can see you're feeling a bit better," he spoke up.

"Eh..." said Guy, but coughed soon afterwards, "We're still feeling pretty sick, we were just trying to occupy ourselves without getting up."

Branch face-palmed yet again, forgetting to ensure they had entertainment before he left.

"What did Peppy say?" asked Smidge, bringing the topic to Branch's visit.

"He completely agreed with me about keeping you here until you're well enough, and he also told me to tell Poppy that he hopes she'll get well soon."

The teal troll looked around.

"Speaking of which, where IS Poppy?"

The Snack Pack looked at each other uncomfortably.

Finally, DJ Suki spoke up.

"Well, she's-"

Before she could finish, she was cut off with the sound of someone vomiting from the bathroom.


	5. Ill Poppy and Tea

Branch looked to the bathroom door with wide eyes.

"...We think she has it worse than us," added Biggie.

"Yeah, she's been tossin' her cookies for about ten minutes," observed Cooper.

With each statement made, the survivalist's eyes grew bigger.

That is, until he cut the Pack off and marched toward where the heart-wrenching sounds were coming from.

Branch knocked on the door, no answer.

He knocked a second time, a bit more urgently, and this time, a weak voice shouted "Go away!" as best as it could.

Branch sighed with relief.

At least she's not passed out, he thought.

Regaining focus, he went into the bathroom, and saw his usually-happy Poppy leaning against the toilet, silently praying she was done.

"Poppy?"

The pale troll's eyes shot up to see her boyfriend looking worried.

She scowled.

"I. Hate this."

"Don't we all," said Branch sympathetically.

"Anyways, do you think you can get up? Puking your guts out can really make a troll dehydrated."

Poppy groaned, shook her head, and was soon over the toilet again.

This time when she was suffering, she felt a comforting hand rubbing circles on her back.

This continued for two minutes until the queen was just doing dry heaves.

Branch looked concerned, and when the queen pulled her sweaty head up, he asked her if she felt better.

Poppy shot him an annoyed look, but weakly answered, "No...my stomach feels like a grown Bergen is marching on it..."

"And your head?"

In response, Poppy curled in on herself and put her head on her knees.

The teal troll felt her forehead, and quietly gasped at the radiating heat.

"Your fever feels even higher than before! Let me get a thermometer," said Branch, and soon walked out.

The Snack Pack tried to ask him how the queen was doing, but he bypassed them, numb to everyone except Poppy.

He managed to get another thermometer, since the previous ones were being washed, and walked back to the ailing sunshine in his life.

The group of friends stared after him, all thinking the same thing.

He must be really worried if he managed to ignore us...

Poppy was trying not to blow chunks again, but her stomach was making it difficult.

The good news was, Branch walked back that very moment.

Sternly but gently, he gave her these instructions: "If you feel like upchucking again, look at me. It may help keep your stomach at bay for a few minutes...not to mention I don't want you spitting a perfectly good thermometer in the toilet," he added.

Poppy nodded, her stomach hurting too much to care.

On the count of three (and making sure she was done with the last vomit spell,) he put the thermometer in.

Thirty seconds went by...nothing.

The time reached forty-five seconds...still nothing.

However...when it hit a minute...THAT'S when the queen began to feel like something was happening.

Nononononono...GOD no...

Her panicked eyes reached Branch's, who noticed and immediately took her hands.

"Look at me...look at me...everything's gonna be fine," he soothed.

While the softness of his hands and the soothing words did slow the bile down, it was the tenderness of his eyes that really did it.

They were so alight with inner fire...and the color was a deep blue like the sea...

However, just thinking of the ocean reminded her of blueberries.

And while blueberries were one of her and Branch's favorite food...she did NOT want to be thinking of anything sweet at this time, let's just put it at that.

Seeing Poppy's resistance failing, the teal troll quickly looked at the wall clock, which had five seconds left.

"Come on Poppy, you can do it...in three, two, one-"

The second he took the thermometer out, Poppy lunged over the toilet yet again.

Branch's heart wrenched when his beloved was releasing the contents of her stomach, but quickly looked at the temperature before it could adjust to the air around them.

"104.6! That's the highest I've ever seen! You need a wet cloth before your fever gets too high!"

With that said, he waited until Poppy's latest episode was through and led her back to the air mattress.

The Snack Pack, suffice to say, was worried.

Their queen looked far more pale and sweaty than usual not to mention her violent shivers were coming back.

"What's wrong, Branch?" they asked the survivalist.

He was looking in the cabinets for a small bowl, a washcloth, and a larger bowel in case the pink troll had to throw up again at the moment.

The teal troll turned to Poppy's closest friends.

"Her temperature's far too high, she needs a cool compress to keep it from rising even more," he said in a rush.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" asked Biggie.

"No, you just focus on resting and recovering. I'll take care of Poppy."

The group of friends was taken aback at first, quickly realized that they couldn't do much of anything at the moment because of how they were feeling, and stayed put.

Branch managed to find his supplies, filled the small bowl with water to soak the cloth in, and rushed to his lover, who was weakly lying down.

After the cloth absorbed some of the water and was wrung out, the survivalist gently put it on Poppy's forehead, who immediately tried to take it off.

"It's too cold..." she murmured.

"No, you're too hot. It's supposed to bring your fever down," said Branch, stopping her.

He then thought of something else.

"You never got re-hydrated, did you? Do you think you can manage some herbal tea? It'll sooth your stomach and alleviate your headache and sore throat a bit."

"I probably won't keep it down, but it's worth a try. I REALLY want to feel better soon," groaned Poppy.

"I know, and so does your dad...hey guys?"

The Snack Pack turned to Branch.

"Do you want some too? You most likely won't get as bad as Poppy, but I can tell you need some relief."

It was true.

Cooper was wincing every time he swallowed, Satin and Chenille were shivering and pulled each other into a hug to try and get comfort, Biggie had his eyes closed and a hand on his forehead for his pounding head, Suki was rubbing her stuffed-up nose, Smidge was staring nowhere in particular in a fevered haze, and GD was locked in a wet sneezing fit.

They all looked at him gratefully.

"We'll do ANYTHING..." they said in unison.

The teal troll nodded.

"Fair warning, it might take a while to prepare all your cups, so you may as well get some sleep," he said.

Seeing as that made sense, the Pack laid down and tried to get some shut-eye in hopes they'll feel better soon.

When they all awoke, they all saw cups next to them with their names.

Silently thanking God that Branch came through, they all lifted their cups to take a sip when the survivalist entered.

"Be careful, they're still hot. Well, at least I'm done. Those teas took me more than an hour to make," he explained.

The Snack Pack nodded.

"Well, we're grateful anyway. And hey, at least the steam is clearing my nose a bit," spoke up Suki, and the rest were quick to agree.

Five minutes later, the tea was finally cool enough to drink, and they all took a sip.

But let me tell you this: they were DEFINITELY not expecting the bitter taste!

As soon as it hit their taste buds, the sick trolls' eyes widened and they spit it out.

"What is this?!" asked Cooper.

"It tastes disgusting!" added the Twins.

Branch sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

"Oh yeah...I may have forgotten to tell you this. The tea is loaded with beneficial herbs, but they make it a bit bitter..."

"A BIT bitter?" growled Smidge.

"Can't we put some sugar in?" asked Biggie.

Branch shook his head.

"It's best to drink it like that so there's as much relief as possible. And besides, you said you would do ANYTHING to get well, so drink up," he said sternly.

The Snack Pack and Branch ended up getting locked in a glaring battle, with neither side backing down.

Until Poppy spoke up, that is.

"Come on guys, Branch is kind enough to help us get better again. We may as well do as he asks."

The other members of the group groaned, and very hesitantly, took another sip while trying not to do another spit take.

After ten minutes of managing-to-drink-the-tea-but-not-liking-it torture, the cups were finally drained to the dregs.


	6. Tea Results, Leadership Subs, and Games

"Remember when you guys dared me to eat a bug, and I said it was the worst thing I ever tasted? Well, I take it back: THIS was the worst thing I ever tasted," groaned DJ Suki.

Branch rolled his eyes.

"Oh, you guys are overreacting. It's not that bad."  
"Easy for you to say! You're probably used to it!" accused Biggie.

The survivalist troll began to object, but soon realized that they were right.

"Well, yes. But you're missing the point: don't you feel a bit better?" inquired Branch.

The Snack Pack looked to each other, until Satin and Chenille spoke up.

"Now that you mention it-" started Satin.

"-we don't feel that cold anymore," finished Chenille.

"Yeah, ladies! My throat feels better too!" added Cooper.

"And my nose isn't tickly either!" sang out Guy Diamond.

Branch looked pleased.

"Well, looks like you'll be recovering earlier than I thought-"

Before the others burst out cheering, he held a hand up.

"-however, you still need to stay here at least one more night to ensure you're entirely well and don't have a relapse."

The Pack groaned, and Branch turned to Poppy.

"And, since Poppy has it worse, she'll need to stay here at least three more days. I may even have to call Dr. Plum if her fever doesn't go down," the teal troll added.

Everyone groaned even louder.

"Oh, you can live without her for a few days," dismissed Branch.

"WE can, but I'm not sure about the rest of the trolls," added Smidge worriedly.

"Well, maybe Peppy could help out. He has some experience."

The Pack nodded in agreement.

"Makes sense. He HAS been king for at least two decades," said Suki.

"Okay then. It's settled. Peppy will take Poppy's place until she's well," decided Branch.

"I just need to go back to his pod to inform him of this. Until I get back, you watch over Poppy, but be sure to still take it easy."

"No problem, but-" started Satin.

"-do you have any board games-" continued Chenille.

"-or playing cards?" they said in unison.

Branch looked pensive for a moment.

"I...THINK I have Clue, but I know for certain I have cards. They're both in an upstairs closet," he explained.

The Snack Pack nodded in acknowledgement while the survivalist backed away and started to get ready to go back out.

"I'll be back as soon as I can. Try and keep Poppy comfortable!" Branch called.

He walked out.

Biggie turned to the others.

"Anyone wanna play Clue?"

"Sure, but remember, we have to look for it first!" Suki reminded him.

The Pack went upstairs, Cooper staying to keep an eye on the sleeping Poppy, and split up looking.

Eventually, Guy was the one that found Clue, while Satin and Chenille found the cards.

"Okay, who wants to play what?" asked Smidge.

Since only six people could play Clue, Guy Diamond, Biggie, and the Twins decided to play Go Fish with the cards.

Ten minutes went by.

With the card gang, Biggie was attempting to get his first book and asked Chenille for any Jacks.

"Yes, here you go!" she replied as she handed over two.

"Hmmmmm..." Biggie pondered over his hand.

So far, he had three Jacks (including the ones he got from the blue twin,) one five, three fours, and two Kings.

Deciding on what card he'll attempt to get next, he turned to Guy.

"Guy, do you have any fives?"

"Go fish."

The giant troll did so, ending up with a three.

Guy's turn was next.

"Biggie...any Jacks?" he asked with a smirk of pure evil.

Biggie groaned as he forked over his hard earned cards.

"So close, yet so far," he sighed.

Eventually, Biggie and Guy got bored, leaving the game to join in with Clue.

Since there were only two card players now, Satin and Chenille decided to play War.

Five more minutes went by.

Over at Clue, Suki made her final accusation and was risking everything by opening the case file, while Satin had most of the cards in War.

"Okay, I think it was Colonel Mustroll, in the study, with a vine," Suki proclaimed.

Everyone looked at their notebook, and turned up empty handed.

"Okay, just to be clear: no one has what I'm asking?"

"Nope."

"Nothing here."

"Negative."

"Nada."

"Zilch, unless we're missing a few cards..." mused Cooper.

"I don't think so...which means...it's a race for the king's pod!" The DJ's face lit up.

After a few more dice rolls, Suki was at the doorway, and picked up the case file.

"Come on...come on..." she muttered as she opened it up.

Before she could look at the cards, however, they all heard a groan.


	7. Spiked Fever and Getting Branch

"I think that was Poppy!" exclaimed Guy Diamond.

Everyone dropped what they were doing, and went over to their Queen.

The pink troll was resting fitfully, with a fresh sheen of sweat on her forehead, shivers, and raspy breathing.

Her cheeks were also rosier than usual with her sheets in disarray due to tossing and turning.

"Oh no..." whispered the Twins.

Suki quickly felt Poppy's forehead, and had to pull her hand away after two seconds.

"Someone get a thermometer!" she ordered.

Biggie was quick to comply, and Suki stuck it in the queen's mouth.

"We need to take it out after two minutes," she stated, turning to the others.

They all had shocked faces.

"Really?! Am I the only one that was paying attention when Branch was tending to us?!" the DJ asked incredulously upon noticing their expressions.

Their silence was all the answers she needed.

Suki groaned and rolled her eyes.

Another minute and a half went by, leading to the hot pink troll taking the thermometer out.

"105.8! We need to get Branch!"

"But how? He's over at Peppy's and the rain isn't due to stop for hours!" pointed out Cooper.

"Not to mention that if you go out there-" started Satin.

"-you could get just as bad as Poppy!" finished Chenille.

Suki turned to them with a fixed expression.

"She's worth it. You should know that. And right now, Poppy NEEDS Branch."

Before another word could be spoken, the determined troll opened the door and bolted outside.

The Pack stared after her in stunned silence.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Suki," spoke up Biggie.

The DJ ran up the stairs to the middle of the Troll Tree, getting soaked in the process.

"Okay, West Branch, South Branch-Aha! North Branch!"

She ran along a few more limbs, shivering and getting short of breath.

"Come on...where is it?!"

She was starting to lose hope, until...

"Wait a minute...THERE!"

She sprinted to the door, leaned against the frame for support, and knocked.

Inside, Branch was almost finished with his second cup of tea (Peppy had persuaded him to stay a BIT longer than he meant to) when he heard the weak rap at the door.

"Who could that be in this weather?" he wondered as he got up to open the door.

Almost as soon as he did, his face blanched.

"SUKI?! YOU IDIOT!"

He forcefully yanked her inside and sat her by the fireplace.

"What were you DOING out there?!"

He felt the DJ's forehead.

"Never mind that, I think your fever's coming back..." he muttered worriedly.

"Actually, why I'm here DOES matter. It's Poppy. Her fever spiked and I thought it was best to get you," explained the hot pink troll between coughs, sneezes, and shivers.

As soon as Suki said that, Branch's anger and concern for her dropped approximately 99.9% and got redirected towards his girlfriend.

"How high?" he demanded.

"Last time I checked, it was almost 106."

Branch turned to Peppy, who had been silent this whole time.

"Peppy, I'm sorry, but I need to go. Get my stuff."

"No problem, my boy. My daughter needs you." said the orange troll, handing his hopefully-soon-to-be son-in-law his umbrella and rain boots.

Suki tried to stand up.

"I'm coming with you."

It was easier said than done since she nearly collapsed as soon as all her weight was on her feet.

"No, Suki. You're too weak. Sit back down by the fire," ordered Branch, helping to support her.

The hot pink troll glared.

"Poppy's my best friend. I need to be with her."

Branch groaned frustratingly, sensing that Suki wouldn't back down anytime soon.

"Fine. If you're so insistent on coming, at least wear my stuff. We don't need you getting pneumonia."

He handed his rain gear to her, but the DJ handed it back.

"Won't YOU get sick, too?"

Branch fixed her with a determined gaze.

"I'm a survivalist. I'll be fine."

Seeing as he was serious, Suki reluctantly put the rain boots and a rain coat ("Just a precaution," said Peppy, handing her his own coat,) on and grabbed an umbrella.

Together, they started out for the ailing Poppy.


	8. Bellflowers and Calling Dr. Plum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot hole is in this chapter, be warned!

The trip down to Branch's place was mostly uneventful, aside from Suki stopping a few times to steady herself and Branch looking at her worriedly.

"I'm fine," she would assure him each time.

The survivalist didn't look convinced, but Suki was adamant.

Eventually they DID get to the mini-bunker, and Branch was crushed by the sight of his beloved.

"Oh, Poppy..." he murmured, stroking her bright pink hair.

She used to never be able to keep a straight face when he did so, but now she was completely unresponsive.

Branch looked up.

"Smidge, I need you to get another wet cloth to try and keep her fever at bay. I'm going to call Dr. Plum on my bellflower."

"Wait a minute! You have a BELLFLOWER?!" the Snack Pack asked incredulously.

"Uh...yes?" said Branch, not knowing why they were acting this way.

In their world, the trolls used special flowers known as bellflowers as phones.

They looked a bit like a bluebell, but each one had two parts; one to talk through, another to listen through.

To connect to someone else, the caller has to simply state the name of the recipient.

Being a relatively new invention (created by none other than Mandy Sparkledust herself,) not many trolls had one.

Anyway, back to the story.

"Suki risked getting as bad as Poppy by going into the storm-" started Satin.

"-when she could've just called Peppy's house!" finished Chenille.

"I'm sorry, okay?! It must've slipped my mind until now. I was caring for you too, so can you blame me?" shot back Branch.

"Anyway, this isn't about me, and we're wasting time. Smidge, do as I say, while I talk to Plum."

He walked away, and went over to his bellflower.

"Dr. Plum Plimsy," he spoke into the mouth piece.

There was a few seconds of dialtone, but soon it connected.

"Dr. Plum's Hospital Pod, this is Plum speaking."

"Hello, doctor? This is Branch."

"Why, hello Branch! What's your medical need today?"

"Well, actually, it's not me. It's Poppy."

"Queen Poppy? What's she doing there?"

"It's not just her, it's also the Snack Pack. They ended up getting the flu from being in the downpour outside, and went to me for shelter and assistance. While most of them are fine now, Poppy's fever spiked and Suki ended up risking her health coming to get me from Peppy's pod. I was wondering if you might come over and take a look at them."

"No problem! I'll see you in the next few minutes?"

"Sure, that's fine."  
"Okay then! Bye."

"Bye."

Branch hung up and went back over to the group.

"Okay, Dr. Plum's going to be here in around five minutes, so be sure to keep out of her way while she's examining Poppy."

The Snack Pack nodded their consent, and the teal troll turned to Suki.

"I also told her to examine you too. Better safe than sorry, right?"

"I guess..." the DJ mumbled.

Her face looked more flushed than usual, though only Branch could see it due to his sharp eye.

"Okay, you DEFINITELY need to sit down now..." said the concerned survivalist.

He led her back to her armchair, and the next few minutes passed in silence until the telltale knock on the door.

 


	9. Examinations and Explanation

Branch opened the door to see the green-haired doctor.

"Hello, Dr. Plum. Thanks for coming," he said as he beckoned her inside.

"No trouble at all. I suppose I should examine the queen first, since, from what I could discern from our conversation, her condition is more severe."

The teal troll nodded in confirmation.

"She's over here," said Branch, leading Plum to the air mattress.

The purple troll gasped when she saw Poppy.

"Oh dear..."

The resident doctor quickly put down her bag, opened it, and started the examination.

Branch paced worriedly for at least ten minutes, while the Snack Pack looked at the unresponsive Poppy anxiously.

At last, Plum looked up with a serious and despondent look on her face.

"Everyone?"

The Snack Pack rushed to the purple troll's side at lightning speed!

While Suki was unable to get up due to her weakness, she still listened, concerned for her best friend.

Plum sighed.

"I hate to be the one to tell you this, but...it's pneumonia."

The Pack gasped.

Branch froze, his eyes widening.

No.

NO.

"But...how?" he choked out.

Plum looked over to Poppy.

"It's her immune system."

"Huh?"

"To put it simply, the queen hasn't built up enough protection against diseases. She always was a healthy troll, but that has its consequences. Even a simple illness like the flu can prove to be her undoing. I'm sorry..."

She put a comforting hand on Branch's arm.

He looked up to her.

"...What can you do to help her?"

The purple troll looked pensive for a moment.

"I can give her an intravenous fever reducer...but I don't know how her body will react to it."

"I don't care, just do it!"

Plum pulled out a syringe, a tourniquet and the fever reducer from her bag.

"You may need to comfort the queen, since she's never liked shots," she explained.

The teal troll readily agreed, and Plum tightened the tourniquet around the queens arm.

She then felt around for a suitable vein.

After she found one, Plum put the right amount of the fever reducer into the syringe, cleaned the area with an antibacterial wipe, looked to Branch for confirmation, and at his consent, stuck the needle into Poppy's arm.

Poppy's reaction was instantaneous, with her moaning and tossing her head around.

"Shhhhhh, shhhhh...it's okay, Poppy..." soothed Branch.

Soon enough, the procedure was done.

The needle was taken out, and a colorful band-aid was placed on the queen's arm.

Plum stood.

"I'm going to check on Suki now, so let me know if anything changes," she instructed.

Branch nodded, his eyes focused on his beloved.

The Snack Pack, having backed away when Plum pulled out the syringe, was with their hot pink friend.

When the resident doctor approached, they went to their designated spots that Branch had given them earlier.

After a quick examination, Plum reached her verdict.

"You're lucky you didn't end up like the queen over there," she said, putting her things back in her bag.

"From what I see, all your flu symptoms came back, just a little worse than normal. Luckily, if you just stay in that chair, keep warm, and don't due anything strenuous that could raise your heart rate, there's a 95% chance you'll recover with no problems."

"Thank you, doctor...achoo!" sneezed Suki.

She shivered, and Satin and Chenille were quick to provide her with another blanket and a tissue.

Plum chuckled.

"No problem."

After a quick check on Branch, (no changes yet) the purple troll took her leave, leaving Branch to look at Poppy sympathetically.


End file.
